Understanding The Meaning and Application of Foam Density

Understanding the physical characteristics of a material is key to ensuring it has the ability to perform a job the way you want. For foam, density is perhaps the most important quality, something that needs to be taken into consideration for an all foam mattress, cushion, or support product. Knowing how density is found and how to apply it to products can help you make sure you get the product right for you.

Density of all foam products are measured in the same way, so whether you’re looking for mattress topper pads or memory foam cushions for dining room chairs, you can know you’re comparing apples to apples.

Density is found by the weighing a cubic block sample of a given foam material, and it really is that simple. There aren’t any modifications or formulas the figures are passed through to create a density value. If a cubic block of memory foam measures six pounds, that batch of memory foam is six pound density. Because of the potential variances in foam manufacturing, each individual foam maker provides their manufacturers and retailers with data sheets that list the tested values of that particular batch formulation. This means that while 10 different companies can be selling neoprene foam, neoprene as a general material doesn’t have a single, uniform density. There could be 10 different densities across all 10 varieties.

The density of foam is best used to assess the quality of a material. This does not include the “feel” of a material; an important difference. Because foam is made of the physical cell structure and air, higher density materials mean more performance product. With density testing standardized, a four pound density material has twice as much actual foam performance product in the same space as a two pound density material. Essentially, this means twice as much material to work for you, taking longer to eventually wear out. Knowing what density means and how it is found can help you make better informed purchases.